Shoulder guards



July 31, 1962 PEARL. L. HEBERLING Y 3,046,991

BY CHANGE oF NAME PEARL 1 ANDERSEN SHOULDER GUARDS Filed Aug. 24; 1959 33 kif H0.

43 '72;44 43 Peaf/ Z. Heber/[ny F/. BY QQM-lmmg ATTORNEY United States Patent Oil 3,046,991 v SHOULDER GUARDS Pearl L. Heberling, now by change of name, Pearl L. Andersen, St. Paul, Minn. Filed Aug. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 835,458 2 Claims. (Cl. 12S-510) This invention relates to an improvement in shoulder guards and deals particularly with an attachment for use on the shoulder straps of brassieres and similar garments to prevent abrasion of the skin and discomfort due to the pressure of lthe narrow straps against the shoulders.

The shoulder straps which usually support brassieres and similar garments are usually narrow in width and in many instances cause considerable `discomfort due to the pressure of these straps against fthe shoulders. Various means have been provided for eliminating this discomfort. In some instances, pads have been provided which include buckles or similar means for attaching the straps in position on the straps. In other cases, the straps merely extend through loops or other such means land are slidably supported on the straps. The former types of pads have the disadvantage that time is required to properly adjust the pads so that they will be properly located on the shoulders. Pads of fthe latter type have the disadvantage of sliding 'along the straps whenever the garment is removed, making it necessary to properly locate the pads relative to the straps each time the garment is worn.

In order -to obviate the diiculty, and to provide a shoulder guard which is designed for use with a brassiere or other garment of a particular type, I have provided a shoulder guard designed to overlie the shoulder with the under surface of the guard resting -upon the shoulder and with the opposite side of the guard provided with a series of spaced projections. These projections are designed to engage into similarly spaced openings in the straps of the garment. As a result, lthe garment may be put on, the pads may be put in position, and the straps of the garment may 'be lifted to overlie the guard so that the projection will engage inV these openings in the straps. As a result, proper location of the `guard on the strap is insured.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a guard preferably formed of a soft flexible resilient plastic preferably having upturned side edges which will ynot engage into the skin. The projections on the guards may either be provided with enlarged heads or may be in the form of rounded teeth which may engage through the strap without injury thereto. When the projections are of ythe headed type, the guards normally remain yattached to the straps until manually removed therefrom.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a guard which may be used in conjunction with a shoulder strap having imperforate side edges connected Iby a lace like center web through which the projections may extend. In View of the fact that the guard may be only worn with brassieres having straps of a suitable type, the sale of brassieres of this type may be -accordingly increased.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims:

In the drawing forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of ya 4brassiere showing the manner in which the :guards are attached to the straps thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a plan View of a guard, showing in broken lines a strap connected thereto.

FIGURE 3 is -a longitudinal sectional view of the guard.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of one form of strap which may be used in combination therewith.

FIGURE 5 isa plan View of a modified `form of guard.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional View longitudinally through the guard of yFIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is ya plan View of .a portion of a strap which may be used with the guard shown in FIGURES 5 and 6.

FIGURE 8 is an end elevational view of the guard shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing.

FIGURE 9 is an end elevational View of the type of guard illustrated in' FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawing.

FIGURE l0 is an end View of another modified form of construction.

The guard is indicatedV in general by the letter A, onev such guard being used upon each of -the shoulder straps 10 of the brassiere B. The straps lll may be of the4 type illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, usually being formed of a folded strip of fabric having abutting edges 111 and 12 which 'are stitched as indicated at `13 to form a strap having opposite folded edges 14 and 15. Eyelets 16 extend through the center portion of lthe strap at suitably spaced intervals. These eyelets 16 may be small grommets, may be in the form of button holes, or may be merely openings through .the fabric, depending upon the nature of the fabric employed.

Ti'he guard A includes a generally llat base portion 17 of soft liexible resilient plastic or similar material having 'rounded ends 19 'and 20 and having generally channel shaped side portions 21. These side portions 21 provide for rounded -side edges 22 as seen in FIGURE S of the drawings, so as to provide a guard which will not dig into the skin or create friction against the skin.

A series of projections 23 extend upwardly from the longitudinal center of the base portion 17 in a spaced -relation which is similar to the spacings of the 'openings 16 in the straps 10. In the arrangement illustrated, projeo .tions 23 are produced with upwardly projecting Shanks 24 (see FIGURE 8) and enlarged heads 25. The heads 25 are `of proper size to fit through the yopenings 16 ibut tend to hold lthe guard attached to the strap unless the strap is manually detached.

lln usual practice, the brassiere is put on and the guards are placed in position overlying Kthe shoulders along side of the straps. The straps are lifted over the edges of the guards until the projections engage in the openings in the straps thus preventing longitudinal movement of the lguards with respect to the straps.

While lthe straps 10 function very effectively, Ibrassiere straps 27 such as illustrated in FIGURE 7 of the drawings are somewhat to be preferred due to the fact that the adjustment of the position of the guards may be more readily effected. The straps 2&1 are formed of two strips of fabric 29 iand'SG which are centrally folded between their longitudinal edges and secured in flat folded relation by rows of stitching such as 31 and 32. The two strips 29 and 30 are spaced -apart and are connected by an open Work central section 33 which may be a strip of lace-like material `or may be similar -to cross stitching or the like. Due to the fact that the center portion 33 of thek strap is open work, the projection of the guard may be inserted through the strap at almost any point.

The strap 27 is preferably used in conjunction with a guard y34 ofthe type illustrated in FIGURES 5, 6- and 9 of the drawing. The guard 34 includes an elongated base plate 35 of soft resilient plastic or the like. 'The base 35 is preferably provided with rounded ends 36 and channel shaped sides 37 which connect with the base 35 along rounded edges 39.

Extending along the longitudinal center line of the base plate, and extending upwardly therefrom, l provide a series of closely spaced teeth 40 which are preferably provided with rounded upper ends 41 as best seen' in 'FIGURE Patented July 3l, i962'v 3 9 of the drawings. 'Ihese teeth 40 may penetrate .through theY open work forming the center portion `of the strap 37, this open work exing 'to accommodate lthe teeth at almost any pointthroughout the length 'of the `ofpen work. YThe modied form of guard 42 illustrated in FIGURE u 10 s to that shown in FIGURE 9 except 'for the Y fact that the side edges 43 extend upwardly'but not inwardly. The edges 43 preferably extend to 'a height substantially even with the upper ends of the spaced projections 44, so that the outer garments will bridge over the yguard and not engage'rthe projections 44.

From the foregoing it he seen that a shoulder guard is provided which may bev used in combination with a Ibrassiere of a certain type or having straps of a certain type. As a result, the manufacturer of lsuch brassieres may sell or give away Ithe guards for, use in conjunction vwith them and may therefore encourage the users yto purchase `other bnassieres of fthe same type.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles kof construction and operation of my iinv provement in shoulder guards, `and While I have endeavi scope of the ytollowing claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:V

1. In combination, a brassiere 1having shoulder straps, Y

said straps having a series of spaced apertures extending therethrough intermediate the side edges of the strap, and a shoulder guard, the guard comprising Ian elongated 'base vof soft resilient flexible material having a series of upwardly Vextending longitudinally spaced projections :there- `on midway between fthe ysides thereof,V said projections being spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of lcertain of said apertures, and upwardly extending Ilongiitudistrip of lace-like material, 4this lace-like material contain ing the apertures.

References Cited in the le of Ythis patent n UNITED STATES PATENTS King Oct. 9,11956 v Patterson v June 24,1947V 

